A Good Life
by japriet1
Summary: A glimpse five years into the Avery family's future after the events of that fateful night in Montana. A little snapshot of their little family and cute Japriet fluff!
1. A Good Life

_Hi all! Good morning! This idea came to me literally at 3:30am as I was trying to sleep so I wrote it down, and now here it is! I know I'm supposed to be writing my other story (oops) but this is a product of my break!_

 _This is a glimpse of the Averys life five years in the future after their night in Montana! Enjoy!_

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 **Good Life - OneRepublic**

 _When you're happy like a fool_

 _Let it take you over_

 _When everything is out_

 _You gotta take it in_

 _Oh this has gotta be the good life_

* * *

The house was very quiet with everyone else already in bed for the night. April had managed to get all her paperwork done without any disturbances and she was ready to get in bed and call it a night herself. Her phone buzzed from the nightstand and she got up from her desk to check it before she changed into her nightgown. Once she had gone through her nightly routine, she pulled back the covers on the bed and situated herself on her side. She laid in the silence with her eyes closed waiting for sleep to overtake her.

"Momma?" A little voice sniffled from the other side of the bedroom door. April had just found a comfy position and slipped into a light sleep when she heard a tiny knock.

She had only been on the brink of sleep, so the slight noise caught her attention instantly. She sat up in bed to see her daughter's small form cladded in pink footy pajamas in the doorway, "Hattie? Are you ok baby?"

"Momma, is daddy back yet?" Tears streamed down the little girl's face as she made her way to the bed in the middle of the room. She crawled up from the foot of the bed to sit next to her mom.

"He will be back soon. I know you miss him. Did you have a bad dream?" April pulled her daughter close and twirled with her curly ringlets around her finger. She soothingly rubbed Harriet's back in a circular motion. Harriet nodded against April's chest in response while rubbing her eyes.

"Do you want to tell me what it was about? Maybe that will make you feel better." April asked as Harriet sat back up to face her mom.

She caressed her daughter's cheek and Harriet sniffled again, "Um, while Daddy was visit Grandma Cat in Boston, he was trying to-to get home but the snow storm made him not get to." More tears rolled down her face and April moved her thumb to brush them away.

"Oh, baby, that was just a dream," she reassured her and kissed her forehead, "Daddy will be home soon, in fact, he called me a few hours ago and told me that he was getting on the plane right now. No snowstorm to worry about, ok?"

"Ok."

"I could use some snuggles while I wait for him. Do you know someone I could find to snuggle with me?" April pretended to think as she tapped her chin with a small smile on her face.

"Me, Mommy! Can I snuggle here?" The little girl giggled as her mom wrapped her arms around her tightly and squeezed her to her chest. They both closed their eyes and settled under the covers. They both laid on the bed wrapped in each other's arms. April loved having her daughter to cuddle with while her husband was away.

"Mommy," Harriet spoke softly into the dark room, "the bed smells like daddy."

"I know, baby." April replied as she ran her hand through her hair to sooth her once more.

"Does it make you sad when he has to leave?" Harriet peeked up at her mother and yawned.

"Yeah, it does. But I know he will be back.," April told her truthfully, "Go to sleep, baby. I will wake you up when daddy gets here."

They huddled together on one side in the king sized bed and April stroked her daughter's back to coax her to sleep. When April heard Harriet's breath even out, she relaxed and drifted off to sleep herself. About an hour later, April woke up to a faint cry drifting down the hall. She slowly untangled herself from her sleeping daughter, careful not to wake her up, even though she knew it wouldn't bother her since she was a heavy sleeper anyway. Once she managed to free herself from her daughter's grip, she made her way next door to her one year old son's room. She walked over to his crib and lifted him. She smoothed his wild hair down and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet to calm him down. After a few minutes, his crying reduced to whimpering and then he was silent, signalling his loss to the sleep he had been fighting. She placed him back in his crib and tucked his fuzzy blanket around him, making sure to leave room for his stuffed elephant under his arm. She gave him one last glance before she exited the room and left the door open a sliver behind her.

Next, she walked down to the very end of the hallway to the last door that was slightly ajar. She pushed on it lightly and peered inside her 4 year old son's room, just to make sure the unusual commotion of the night hadn't disturbed his sleep. His light, curly brown hair fell over his eyes and his arm was slung over his head. He was laying on his back and his covers were tangled at his feet. April guessed that his winter pajamas had been too hot for him to sleep comfortably, but all her children had the habit of moving too much in their sleep. Most of the time, their covers ended up in the floor and Harriet even kicked sometimes. She smiled at him sleeping soundly before she backed out of the room and closed the door back, leaving it open just a crack.

"How are the boys?" A deep voice asked from the dark hallway behind her, causing her to jump. She gripped her chest in panic as she turned around to face the shadowy figure. She let out a breath of relief as she saw Jackson standing behind her. Even though she had instantly recognized his voice, she hadn't heard him come in, so she had been startled nonetheless.

"They're fine. Lucas was crying, but he has calmed down. Michael is still asleep in his bed." April answered. Jackson peeked in both his sons room's before he went to check on his daughter.

"Where's Harriet?" He asked when he noticed the door to his daughter's room was wide open. Usually, they left all of their children's doors open only a crack, so it wasn't normal for her to leave it open.

"She's in our room. She's been waiting for you to get back."

Jackson reached out to her in dark hallway and wrapped his arms around her back. He bent down to greet her with a slow, gentle kiss on the lips and then he pecked both her cheeks. They exchanged greetings and a few words about his trip before they pulled away. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her into their master bedroom. There he saw his 5 year old daughter curled up on his side of the bed, her mop of brown curls spread across his pillow. April walked over to the side of the bed and gently shook her to wake her up, "Hattie, daddy is here." she whispered softly in her ear.

Harriet stirred from sleep and rubbed her eyes, blinking in confusion.

"Hey, sweetheart." He whispered as she slowly woke up.

As soon as she realized who was there, she shouted with joy, "Daddy! You're home!" she leapt up from the bed and into his arms, "I missed you so so much daddy."

"I missed you so so much, too, Hattie." Jackson held her tightly to his chest and kissed her cheek. He ran his fingers through her tangled hair and attempted to tame the mess they surely were going to have to deal with in the morning.

"Luke missed you too. He cried and cried last night when you weren't here. Mommy and I sang your song to him though, and he went to sleep. But he was sad that you weren't here daddy. So was I." Harriet held Jackson's face in her hands and sadness flooded her voice as she spoke.

"Hattie, you know daddy has to go to Boston sometimes to see Grandma." April stood up from the bed and reminded her daughter of the conversation they have every time Jackson has to leave for a business trip.

"I know. Can I go with you next time, daddy? I promise I will be good and I can go see Grandma Cat." The little girl's eyes lit up at her idea and she looked at her father with hopeful eyes.

"Maybe." Jackson responded as he rubbed his nose against hers. He loved being with his family again and he was going to cherish this little moment with his daughter because he knew that she wouldn't be his baby girl for much longer. There was something about being away from his family that made him appreciate the little things so much more and it made coming home that much sweeter.

"I love you, daddy." Harriet murmured as she returned his eskimo kiss and rubbed his slightly stubbly chin. She giggled at the scratchy feeling against her hand. Watching the scene made April's heart so full of love. Her body was so overcome by emotion that it brought tears to her eyes.

"I love you too, bug." He responded and gave her little body a tight squeeze, bringing her closer to him.

April watched them embrace for a few more seconds before she decided that she had no choice but to break it up, "Ok, let daddy change into his pajamas, baby. He's tired too, and you have school tomorrow. You need to go to sleep." She plucked her from her father's arms and settled the young girl on her hip.

"Can I sleep here Momma? Please?" Harriet begged her mom stuck out her bottom lip for emphasis. April looked over at Jackson to see if he agreed. She normally let the kids sleep in their room when he was gone. Jackson, on the other hand, believed in making them sleep in their own beds. He always said that it was important that they did, but she guessed he was making an exception tonight. He missed his baby a lot, and this trip made him realize how much time work and the Foundation consumed. His mother even talked to the board into relieving him of some of his duties so he could be more involved at home again. That meant fewer trips to Boston, and Jackson was glad. Harriet's reaction to his return made him even more grateful for what his mom did. So, if snuggling with her is what his daughter wanted, then snuggling is what she was going to get. Jackson changed out of his business clothes and threw on some sweatpants and a light t-shirt before he climbed into bed. He scooped Harriet up into his arms and reached out for April to join them. April placed her arm over his waist and he squeezed them all together, "Harriet sandwich!"

"Daddy! Mommy! You're squishing me!" Harriet giggled at his antics and squirmed in between their arms in attempt to free herself.

"I just missed you so much, Nugget. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, daddy."

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 **Please review and let me know what you think of this little snapshot story! It means a lot to me! Also, my friend and I were SWOONING last night over the name Lucas Avery... Just think about it... Lucas Avery *heart eyes* the little heartbreaker...  
I usually don't write things that are this parallel to the show, so I hope you enjoyed it and little Harriet! Some cute Japriet fluff, I'm all about that! xoxo**


	2. Dancing Queen

_Hi all! I'm back with a new installment! I whipped this snapshot up this afternoon while I was bored at work! It is set in the same time as the first one, A Good Life, which I am making a series because so many people requested it! I hope you enjoy! I just love little Harriet! I hope you all like little Michael and Lucas too! I felt like we needed a little Japril love today since Shonda failed to deliver last night!_

 _(Note: Michael's nickname, Cael, is pronounced Kale)_

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 **Dancing Queen - ABBA**

 _You can dance  
You can jive  
Having the time of your life  
See that girl  
Watch that scene  
Dig in the dancing queen_

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"Harriet, hold still." Jackson told his five year old daughter when she wiggled in her chair for the fifth time. He had a tight grip on her curly hair and it made her antsy as he tried to style it to her standards.

"Daddy, you're pulling too hard. It hurts!" She whined as his fingers ran through her hair again, getting caught in the tangles. He used the spray bottle like April had taught him to tame the mess and smooth it out as he started wrapping it around on top of her head.

He sighed and dropped her hair to squirt a small amount of gel into his palm and lathered it on her ponytail, "I'm sorry, just stay still." He smoothed it out one more time to be sure the curls would stay in place and then twisted it around to form a bun. He wrapped the ponytail holder around the base to hold it in place.

"There! Perfect." He said as he finished, looking to his daughter for approval. He smiled at her as she turned around to face him.

She looked in the small mirror that he held in his hand and her smile fell, an upset look taking its place, "No daddy! That's too messy!"

"But messy buns are popular, right?" He looked at her confused. He didn't understand the problem with the job he had done. To him, it looked perfectly fine, but to her, it was a wreck.

She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout at him, "Not in ballet, daddy! They have to be perfect!" She whined and puffed out her cheeks in distress.

"Well, I'm not a master of the bun." Jackson held his hands up in defense. He did not understand what was so wrong with a few loose strands. April's quick text message instructions to him weren't very helpful, and the youtube video he had watched didn't make any sense either. He was at a complete loss with styling hair.

"Because you have no hair." She bluntly told him, motioning to his hairless head.

He looked at her stunned, "Ok, rude. I don't know what else to do." He really wanted to laugh at her for being so frank with him. It amazed him at how similar their senses of humor were. He took pride in knowing that his daughter took after him in that aspect. No offense to April, but he definitely believed he was superior in that area. However, he was epically failing in the hair and all things girl department, and April was striving. He really didn't know to how to fix the fly away problem, even with all the instructions she left and the use of google.

"Daddy, we need bobby pins." She rolled her eyes as she slid off the bar stool that she was sitting on. She ran to her parents bathroom, pulled open April's drawer and picked up a few bobby pins. She came back into the kitchen and placed them in Jackson's open hand before she climbed back up the stool to sit. He started pushing the bobby pins into her poofy updo in order to tame the frizzy fly aways. Harriet handed him a bottle of hairspray and he took it from her, slightly confused. She lifted her hand and motioned it around the top of her head, her finger curved like she was spraying. He followed her gestures and started spraying all around the bun to hold it in place. She put her hand over her face to avoid getting it in her eyes. Once he was done, he spun her around to view his work.

She sighed and bit her cheek, debating whether or not it looked good this time. She finally nodded her head slightly, trying not to shake it too much, "Mommy does it better." She determined and hopped off the stool, making her way to the front door.

"Well, right now, you're stuck with me, kiddo. That's as good as it's gonna get." He told her while grabbing her ballet bag from the hook by the door. She stood in silence while she waited by the door for the rest of her family. Jackson watched her as she quietly stared at her pink ballet shoes on her feet, "Are you ok, sweetheart? I can try to redo your bun if you really don't like it."

"Is mommy gonna make it to my recital?" She looked up at him as tears brimmed her eyes and worry filled her voice. This was her first dance recital since she started dance lessons and April had promised she would be there to see her. She knew that sometimes her parents jobs caused them to have crazy hours because hurt people needed help, but it didn't make it hurt her any less. She had hoped and prayed that the hospital wouldn't call her mom or dad in just this once.

Jackson bent down in front of her and used his thumb to brush away a tear that had fallen down her cheek, "She is. She will be there," he reassured her, "She just had an emergency that she needed to go to the hospital to check on. She's going to meet us there." April had been paged 911 only 20 minutes before they had to leave to take Harriet to the dance place, leaving Jackson alone to get her ready. April really hated that she had to go, and she might've called and told them she couldn't come in if it hadn't been about the little boy she had just performed surgery on the day before. The little boy had barely survived the car wreck he was in, then his surgery had some major complications. It struck a nerve in her, reminding her of her own children, so she felt obligated to go see how he was doing and take care of the thing that needed handling. April wanted to make sure he was alright before she headed to Harriet's recital.

"Ok." Harriet nodded and wiped away the rest of her tears.

"Ok." He repeated and kissed her forehead, "Let's go get the boys and we will be ready to roll." He stood up and winked at her causing her to giggle. He walked up the stairs towards his son's rooms, but before he reached them, Harriet yelled for him.

"Wait! Daddy?" She hollered up the stairs after him in panic.

"Yes, sweetheart?" He called back to her from the top and she popped into view at the bottom.

"What about my pink tutu?" She gestured to her bare torso where her tutu was supposed to sit. She had her pink tights and pink leotard on, but her tutu was missing to complete her outfit.

His eyes widen, "Oh, crap. Where is it?" He had no idea where April had left it, and she had failed to mention that in her text messages.

Harriet shrugged while walking up the stairs towards him, "Mommy said that she left it hanging up. I can't reach it, though." She looked at him expectantly.

"Oh, right. The closet." He walked into her room and opened her closet doors. He scanned the rows of clothing until he spotted it amongst her other pink clothes. He rolled his eyes at his wife. Of course she would color code their five year old daughter's closet, as if it was going to stay that way. He grabbed the poofy tutu down from the top rack where it was hanging.

"Here, let's put this on," He held the tutu up towards her and she grabbed his shoulders to keep herself steady while she stepped into it. He pulled it up to her waist and made sure it was snug before he let go, "Now we are ready! Let's go get the boys!"

Jackson placed Lucas in the baby car seat in his new family car, which April liked to call his 'man van'. Harriet climbed into the seat beside the baby and Michael headed to the very back. They all buckled up and were on their way to the dance academy where Harriet was enrolled in ballet classes. When they pulled into the parking lot, it was only 30 minutes until the recital started, so Jackson rushed in with all three of his kids to make sure Harriet was where she needed to be.

"Ok, you wait here with your teacher and do what she says. Good luck, sweetheart. You're gonna do great!" He instructed her and then grinned, already excited to watch her perform her dance. He had seen it probably a hundred times already with the way she was at home. She ran around and danced to her heart's content, and April was no better. He could bet that his wife knew all the moves as well.

"Daddy, we don't say good luck! We say break a leg!" Harriet chastised him. He had no idea what that meant, but he knew it was something performers always said before they took the stage.

To please her, he decided to change his wording before she got worried and thought it was bad luck, "Break a leg! I love you!" He leaned down to her level and reached over to kiss her cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his nose to thank him, but she noticed one thing missing, "Momma's not here yet." She noted sadly. Before Jackson could remind her of what he had said earlier, April rushed through the doors right on time, "I'm here! I'm here, don't worry!" She yelled as she crossed the room

"Mommy!" Harriet unlatched herself from Jackson's neck and lept into her mother's arms as she made her way over to them.

"Good luck, baby and I will see you when it's over! Now, go back to your group before you're late! I love you!" She whispered in her ear. She kissed her cheek, told her to "break a leg" per her daughter's request and then sent her on her way with her class.

He took Michael's hand in his and settled Lucas in his other arm. They made their way into the auditorium and sat in the very front row. April wanted to take pictures, and refused to sit anywhere other than the front row. Lucas sat in April's lap, mesmerized by the camera she was holding. He reached for it and April let him play with it for a few minutes while they waited. Michael sat in between them with her phone in his hand to keep him occupied before the performance. The lights blinked to signal that the show was about to begin and April placed Lucas in Jackson's lap so she could get a clear shot of Harriet as she danced. The lights dimmed and 10 little girls dressed in identical pink leotards and tutus walked out in front of the crowd. April lifted her camera as her daughter took the stage, front and center, as usual. April leaned over and made a joke about their daughter's need for attention coming from Jackson. She laughed, he did not. The music started slowly and their attention went to the 10 little girls. As five year olds are, it was very hard for most of them to keep up or keep interested in the dance, but then there was Harriet. She knew every move and position, granted she wasn't perfect, but she didn't even need to look to the teacher for help. Some of the girl's just stood there, but not their daughter. Amongst the chaotic mess of little girls, she was dancing her heart out, and Jackson even thought he saw her humming along. The whole auditorium was giggling at the adorable mess on stage as the classical song came to an end. All the little girls posed at the end beat of the song, and Harriet sassily stuck out her tongue at her dad before she took a bow. April giggled and rolled her eyes while Jackson clapped and cheered loudly. He always thought dancing ballet was boring to watch, but his daughter made it much more interesting.

"You two are too much alike. I don't think I will be able to handle it when she gets older." April smiled as the five year olds exited the stage and their daughter skipped off behind the curtains. They watched as the rest of the groups took the stage one by one and showcased their dances to the audience, but Jackson barely paid attention. He was focused on keeping his sons occupied. They were getting restless from all the sitting and the ballet dancers were not capturing their interest. After the last group performed, all the girls came to the stage and everyone bowed. The audience gave a standing ovation and Jackson and April stood up and cheered.

"Yay, Hattie!" Michael hollered out for his sister and clapped along with the crowd. Lucas giggled at his brother from Jackson's arms and tried to clap as well.

Harriet saw her family and gave them a big smile and waved at them. They waved back and she blew them a kiss. The girl's were ushered off stage and went to the lobby to meet their families.

"You did such a good job, baby! I'm so proud of you!" April scooped up the little girl into her arms and gave her a tight squeeze. She set her back down on the ground and reached into her purse. She pulled out a mini bouquet of roses to show her how proud of her they were.

"You got me flowers? Mommy! You're so sneaky!" April laughed at her daughter's statement but couldn't help the pride that filled her when she watched her nail all the dance moves on stage. She had never felt more proud of anyone ever before. Not even herself, or Jackson.

"That's why I was running late, silly. You were so worried and I was just out picking up your flowers!" She explained and Harriet grinned. Jackson gave her a hug as well and congratulated her. Lucas patted her bun from Jackson's waist when he bent down to hug her.

Michael went up to her after their hug was over and his small hand grabbed hers, "You did so good, Hattie. You danced pretty."

"Thank you, Cael!" Harriet hugged him, her cheek pressed to his and her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He grimaced slightly as she gripped him tighter. He started to wiggle to get away from her but April noticed the moment and thought it was too cute to not capture.

"Oh! You two stand there and let me take a picture!" April exclaimed. She got her camera from her purse and pointed it to them. They both smiled and Michael tried to pull away from her as April took the picture.

"Excuse me, ma'am." A lady tapped April on the shoulder.

"Yes?" She politely asked the lady.

"Would you like me to take a picture of all of you?" The lady offered causing April to smile.

"Oh, that would be great! Thank you!" April grinned at her and then showed her how to work the camera. The lady nodded in understanding and pointed it at them.

"Ok, Jackson, you stand on the left and I will stand on the right. Hattie and Cael stand in front of me and daddy. Jackson, put Luke in between us," April moved everyone to their places, "Ok, we're ready!"

"Ok, everybody, say cheese!" The nice lady snapped the picture and handed her the camera back. They all thanked her for the picture. Harriet was bouncing on her feet, still buzzing from her performance. She could barely stand still. She began twirling around as April and Jackson looked over the pictures they had taken throughout the night.

"Harriet Marie Kepner-Avery! Your eyes were closed in this picture!" April said when she saw the picture they had just taken. Her daughter's eyes were barely open, but her smile was still wide in delight.

"Sorry! The flash was too bright!" She stopped twirling and apologized, pretending to not be able to see very well while blinking her eyes.

"Mommy, can we go get dinner? Please?" Michael interrupted their exchange when his stomach growled.

"Oh, please mommy!" Harriet begged along with her brother.

"Please mommy!" Jackson imitated his children and April giggled. It was already dark outside and they hadn't eaten anything before they came.

April sighed, "Fine! How do waffles sound?" She asked, giving in to her family. They all cheered, exiting the building to the parking lot.

"Who's riding with me and who's riding with dad?" April asked as they made it to their cars. Jackson took Luke with him, since the carseat was already in his car and hard to move. The older two kids grabbed their booster seats and rode with April.

They ended their night at their favorite diner, The Waffle Stop, eating various types of waffles. They all sat together eating waffles, and baby food for Luke. April smiled as her family chattered and joked with each other. Harriet danced around in her seat to the music playing over the sound system. When they all finished, it was getting really late and it was already passed everyone's bedtimes. All three children were on the verge of falling asleep in their seats.

"Ok, my little dancing queen, let's go home! Time for bed!" April picked up Harriet from her chair and carried her outside, while Jackson took care of the boys. They got settled in and they started their way home. The car ride was rather quiet and she assumed both children were fast asleep.

Michael coughed, startling her and ruining the silence, but Harriet snoozed on. He couldn't go to sleep as fast as his sister so he spoke to April instead, "Mommy? I wanna do stuff too!" He complained from his spot in the backseat.

"Like what, baby?"

"I wanna play basketball! Like daddy!" April's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She hadn't expected another one of her children to take interest in something so soon. Especially something that took up that much time. Time they didn't have. They would have to make adjustments, but they could make it work, if that was what he really wanted. All she could think was how time consuming everything was going to be. Great. Another event to take up time. She guessed that would be their life now, running children place to place, but she would do anything if it made her kids happy. Their happiness was the most important thing, seeing they were the most important thing in her life. She had a feeling that Jackson would agree.

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 **I hope you liked this story! Please review and tell me what you think! It would make my day! Isn't Harriet and Jackson's Daddy/Daughter relationship just so cute?! I love them to pieces! I hope you enjoyed more of Lucas and Michael too! Thank you for reading!**

 **BTW, if you are on tumblr, feel free to follow me japriet for updates on stories and other grays/japril things!**


	3. Celebration

_Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Easter, or a lovely Sunday! I thought about making a cute little Avery family Easter one shot, but the ideas just weren't flowing! However, this did come to mind! The feedback I receive for the one shots make my heart SWELL! I love it so much! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think, whether its a good or bad one, I would really appreciate it!_

* * *

 **Celebration - Kool & The Gang  
**Celebrate good times, come on! (Let's celebrate)  
There's a party goin' on right here  
A celebration to last throughout the years  
So bring your good times, and your laughter too  
We gonna celebrate your party with you

* * *

"Thanks again, Meredith, for letting us use Zola's old decorations." April turned to the woman beside her and thanked her. They were both in the living room with the rest of the partygoers, their eyes on the birthday girl. April was taking pictures as her daughter opened her birthday gifts and Meredith sat beside her with a garbage bag, trying to pick up wrapping paper as it was thrown to the floor. The whole room was covered in pink. Pink boas were strewn across the floor with loose pink feathers scattered around, pink party cups, plates and napkins littered the tables, pink streamers hung from the ceiling, pink tiaras on everyone's heads, much to the boys dismay. Michael sat with Bailey and a couple of the dads at the dining room table, frowns displayed on their face and pink boas draped across their shoulders. Jackson joked that their living room looked like a Pepto Bismol Palace. Fit perfectly for their Little Pink Princess.

"No problem! They were just sitting around in a box in the attic. I was just lucky to get rid of them. I mean, what were we going to do with princess party decorations?" Meredith responded to April as they kneeled in front of the couch where their daughters, who were decked out in pink tutus and tiaras, sat as Harriet continued to tear through her . Harriet squealed loudly, causing both of them to redirect their attention back to the girls. Harriet was waving around papers and a little headband and April knew immediately what they were.

"Excuse me," she gave Meredith an apologetic look, "I need to have a word with my husband." April stood up from her crouched position on the ground as soon as Harriet had opened her last gift. She left Meredith's side and made her way to the kitchen where Jackson was standing around the island bar with some of the guys from the hospital.

"Uh oh. Here comes the big bad wife," Alex joked when he spotted April's upset face, "We better go." He patted Jackson on the shoulder for good luck as he exited the room, even though he wasn't sure why April was mad, but he knew that Jackson would need the support.

"April," Jackson started to defend himself, "I know what you are going to say-"

"Jackson! We talked about it and we said we didn't have time for something this big right now! I can't believe you went behind my back!" She crossed her arms and glared at him. Honestly, she wasn't upset with the gift he had given their daughter, she was upset that he went against what they had agreed on together.

"April, look at her! She's so happy!" He pointed over towards the couch where Harriet was jumping and dancing in excitement, "Plus, I'm the head of the freaking board, we can make time!"

April sighed and glanced over her shoulder at the little girl. A grin spread across the little girl's face as she talked enthusiastically to Zola and Sophia about her father's surprise. The scene made a small grin form on her face as well, and she couldn't deny that she was slightly excited herself, never having actually been to this specific destination when she was younger, but always longed to go. She couldn't let Jackson have the satisfaction of knowing that though.

"April, we agreed on taking a family trip! You can't get mad at me!" He justified his actions and the amazing gift he had surprised his family with. It wasn't just a trip for his daughter, it was for the whole family. That was something Jackson had always longed for, so it was a win-win for the both of them. He, of course, knew from his in-laws that April wanted to go to Disney as bad as his daughter did. Growing up, Jackson's family didn't take family vacations, unless it was a fancy gala or something associated with The Harper Avery Foundation, but that wasn't anything fun. He didn't want that for his kids. He wanted memorable moments with his family so they could look back on them and be proud of their upbringing. Not the disappointing, pressuring, boring, nanny-filled one he had.

"I meant to the zoo or something!" she huffed in exasperation, "Not Disney World!"

"Well, she's been talking about it for months! She's having a princess themed party for crying out loud!"

"Jackson, she just turned six!"

"So? Why not?"

She quirked her eyebrow at him in astonishment, "Why not? How about the fact that we both have jobs and patients to take care of! How about the fact that it's in Florida!" He seemed to have forgotten that they had jobs, responsibilities and a life that they couldn't just drop.

"I'm the head of the board!" He argued back. Unbeknownst to her, he already ran it past the board before booking the trip. He wanted it to be a surprise for her as well, and it definitely was, but her reaction was not the one he had been hoping for.

"So? We can't use that as an excuse every time or people will think we are slacking!"

Jackson chuckled softly at her statement, "Babe, trust me. No one thinks you are slacking." He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her, because she looked like she was ready to blow, even though he knew she wasn't actually that mad, "You run that ER practically single handedly and you're the only person who basically never takes vacation. Everyone agreed that you need this." He rubbed her shoulders with his thumb, hoping all of this would butter her up enough that she couldn't refuse.

She sighed and finally gave in to him, "Fine."

Harriet ran over to them, interrupting their conversation. Her tiara was now replaced by her new Princess Minnie Mouse headband, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, mommy and daddy!" She shouted as she launched herself into her father's outstretched arms and she looped her arms around his neck, pulling him tightly to her in appreciation.

"Anything for my little princess!" He winked at his wife while still holding onto his daughter, causing April rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes," He told her, "besides, if Hattie is the princess, what does that make Mommy, baby girl?" He pulled her back so they were looking at each other.

"The Queen!" she giggled and shook her head at him, "Silly, daddy!"

"Of course," He nodded his head in agreement before he shifted his eyes back to April, "And, you know what most queens are in disney movies, right, Apes?"

"No, what?"

"Evil!"

"Hey!" She smacked his shoulder and Harriet giggled at her parents antics.

"Kidding!"

"Daddy, did you get me a pink magic band?" Harriet butted in, slightly curious for their trip, but also wanting the attention back to her, since it was her birthday.

"Of course I did, sweetheart!" He placed her on her feet and opened one of the kitchen drawers, revealing a box full of five different colored magic bands. Each one was engraved with the name of the family member it belonged to.

"Yes!" she squealed as she took her pink one from the box and wrapped it around her wrist. She ran back into the living room to show everyone her new accessory, whipping it around to let everyone see.

April smiled at her as she watched her daughter's face light up once more, then she turned back to her husband, "So when do we leave?"

"Oh yeah, about that… Our flight leaves tomorrow at 9am."

"Seriously Jackson!" Her eyes widen at the realization that he probably hadn't done any packing and she was going to have to do it all tonight. She suddenly felt overwhelmed and needed this party to end soon so she could get ready. Her mind was already racing while she created a mental checklist of all the things they needed to take, and all the reservations they probably needed to make. She had little faith that Jackson actually knew the amount of planning a family vacation involved.

Jackson only grinned sheepishly at her and shrugged his shoulders in apology, "Sorry."

"There - there is so much to do!"

He smirked at her freak out, "Don't worry, babe, I took care of it all. Tickets, reservations, hotel, all done. Amelia helped me pack for you and the kids, so everything is ready to go. You don't think I'm that stupid, do you?"

"I don't think you want me to answer that question right now."

* * *

 **I really hope you liked Hattie's sixth birthday party! I can totally envision Jackson splurging and taking his family to Disney! Plus, April would totally love it too! I hope you enjoy this fun little world I created as much I love adding to it! Sorry if there are mistakes, oops!**


	4. Unconditionally

_Hello all! ITS TGIT GREY'S DAY! Crazy, I know! I'm so excited! I hope we get some Japril tonight, but if we don't, this is my gift to you! I've been busy with school recently, and I'm very sorry, but its summer now! I am planning on continuing all my one shot series, so that's something to look forward to during the hiatus lol. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! I love to read all of them! Lastly, thank you to everyone who has read every chapter and encouraged me and helped me! I hope you're ready for this! Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Unconditionally - Katy Perry**

 _Come just as you are to me_  
 _Don't need apologies_  
 _Know that you are all worthy_  
 _I'll take your bad days with your good_  
 _Walk through this storm I would_  
 _I'd do it all because I love you_

* * *

Jackson raced through the double sliding doors into the ER with a sleepy one year old in one arm and a screaming four year old in the other. His daughter lagged behind, prancing around in her own little world, oblivious to the panic her father was filled with. Everyone in the waiting room's attention shifted to them, mainly due to the crying little boy. Tears were streaming down his face as he squirmed in pain trying to get out of his father's arms.

"Hello, Dr. Avery. Is there anything I can do for you?" A skinny blonde nurse greeted him as he reached the nurses station, bypassing all the waiting people. Being the head of the hospital did have its perks, especially at a time like this.

"Page Dr. Karev 911 right away!" He ordered the nurse as he looked around the ER quickly for an open bed to place his son on.

"Would you like us to page your wife as well?" The nurse asked as Jackson walked away from her, expecting her to obey and not bother him any further. He figured she could sense the panic and let him be. Instead, she brought up exactly what he didn't want her to do.

He turned back around to face her, his eyes wide as he shook his head quickly, "No! Dr. Kepner cannot know we are here until after Dr. Karev is finished. Uh, page Wilson too."

The nurse nodded her head and turned around to do as she was told. Jackson urgently rushed to the one empty bed in the room and pulled the curtains closed around it, half to drown out the sounds of his son's wailing in order not to disturb the other patients, and the other half to conceal their identity just incase his wife happened to walk in. He knew he was walking a fine line because the ER was his wife's baby and she was there every chance she got.

Jo arrived to the ER first and the nurse gestured to the closed curtain. She had no idea what to expect when she opened it but she really didn't expect Jackson and his three kids to be sitting there waiting for her.

"Hey, Jo, would you mind watching Harriet and Luke for a few minutes?"

She huffed, taking in the scene in front of her. Around them was total chaos. By now, little Lucas had awakened due to the screams from his brother, and he was crying too. Michael was still in tears, clinging to his father's neck, who was sitting on the hospital bed beside him. Harriet was sitting in the chair beside the cot quietly swinging her legs back and forth, no longer happy that they were at the hospital. She thought they were going to visit her mom because Michael was upset, but now she could tell something was wrong with her brother, even if her dad refused to tell her what happened. Then there was Jackson. He looked like a wreck. His eyebrows were furrowed in worry and his jaw was clenched in aggravation. His eyes had a panicked look, and they were even a little watery as his son cried. He had two crying children on each of his arms and he struggled to keep them calm, and nothing he tried was working one bit. Jo sighed before giving in, deciding that he really needed the help, but he was going to owe her big time, "Dr. Avery, you do realize I am no longer a resident, correct?"

"Yes! I do! Come on, Jo, please! I'm in a bit of a situation right now," He motioned to his full arms that contained very upset children, "and I would really appreciate it!" He pleaded.

She contemplated what he was asking of her, and then decided it was best if she just did it. He was her boss and all. She wasn't really doing anything at the moment, plus, she figured she could use the practice with the children.

Just as she took Harriet's hand and Luke out Jackson's arms, Jo noticed Alex stride into the ER as well. He was pointed to the bed where Michael sat and he noticed the whole group gathered around it. He made his way over, kissing his wife on the cheek before she walked away with the two children. He then turned to greet the little boy in the hospital bed, "What's up Magic Mike! What happened little man?"

"Alex, don't call my son Magic Mike."

Alex ignored Jackson as he assessed the boy's problem, "We're gonna need X-rays, but I'm sure you already know, his arm is broken." Alex determined before he faced Jackson, "What happened?"

As Jackson explained his son's tumble down the steps to Alex, he heard his wife's voice on the other side of the curtain. They both paused and looked as her shadow appeared behind it. Jackson held his breath as he saw her silhouette reach for the edge of the curtain and grab it. "Edwards, why is this curtain pulled? I don't remember placing anyone in this bed." Her voice was muffled, being blocked out by the dividers, but when she pulled back the curtain, shock overtook her face as she saw who was there.

"Jackson? Alex? What's going on? Aren't you supposed to be at home with the kids?" April stuttered. She stood there stunned as she struggled to comprehend what was going on.

"Mommy!" Michael shouted from behind Jackson, who had attempted to stand in front of his son to hide him from her view.

April's eyes widened as pushed Jackson out of the way so she could get to her son, "Oh my gosh! Baby, what happened?"

Tears returned to Michael's eyes at the sound of his mother's voice, "My arm, mommy, it hurts!"

"Jackson, what happened?" She yelled as she cradled him in her arms. Her hand holding his head to her chest as she lightly rocked them back and forth to try and calm him down. His tears started flowing more heavily now that she was there and soon he was full blown crying again. Snot ran down his face and April held him close as he sought comfort in her, "What happened?" She repeated, gritting her teeth slightly in irritation due to him not answering.

"April, you're making it worse. You're scaring him. He had just calmed down." Alex said, but both parents ignored him as they had their own conversation.

"Um, he took a fall down the stairs at home." Jackson explained as he stood beside her, causing April to lean away from him with her son in he arms.

"Why weren't you watching him? Where were you?"

"I was making dinner, April! I can't watch all of them and do that at the same time!"

"He's four, Jackson! He can't go upstairs alone! Was he wearing socks? Is that why he fell? You know they can't wear socks on wooden steps!"

"He can make it up the stairs just fine! There was no way for me to know he was going to fall!"

"Ok, enough!" Alex stepped in between the two with his hands spread out, "We need to get Michael up to get an x-ray, settle this later." He told them but April spoke anyway.

"Well, he should have called me as soon as it happened and let me know so we could've been prepared here." She snapped in his direction, extreme anger evident on her face and in her voice.

"I panicked April! I didn't know what to do! I was only focused on him!" He argued back at her, his arms crossed over his chest in defense.

"You're a doctor, you should've known!"

"Stop!" Alex shouted, every head in the ER turned towards them, and even Michael's crying turned to whimpers, "Will you two chill out? We need to go now. Only ONE of you can come with me."

Jackson straightened up immediately ready to follow Alex and his son, but April picked Michael up into her arms and turned to Jackson, "No. I will go with him to his x-ray and you will stay here." She sternly demanded before she placed the boy down in a wheelchair. She knew he could walk there, but he was shaken up and she wasn't going to make him.

"Are you seriously mad at me over this? April, you're being unreasonable." Jackson shouted after her as she followed her colleague who was pushing her startled son in a wheelchair.

She turned around to face him as they reached the double doors to exit the ER, "Am I? Because my son's arm is broken and you didn't call me. I think that was unreasonable." With that, she walked through the doors to the other wing of the hospital, leaving Jackson behind to watch his other two children.

He took a deep breath and rolled his eyes when she disappeared from sight. With his hands balled up into fists on his hips, he stepped down the hallway and approached Jo, whom had his son in her lap and his daughter at her side.

"Thank you so much for watching them, Jo." Jackson expressed his gratitude when he made his way over to the bench where she and the two children had been sitting right outside the ER.

"No problem! After all, I guess I need some experience before this one comes." She placed her hand over her growing stomach that protruded slightly under her scrub top, "Alex gets all his practice working in peds, so I needed it as much as you, I guess!" She joked as she stood up to let Jackson sit down next to his daughter with his tiny son perched on his lap.

Jackson sat on the bench in the hallway with his daughter's head laid over on his shoulder and his son lulling in and out of sleep as he reassured his little girl that her brother would be fine. He loved his one on one time with Harriet because he didn't get it all that often. He loved to be at the hospital with her especially, because she seemed to take interest in the medical stuff going on around her. She would ask him so many questions, and he loved to answer every single one of them. She soaked up the information like a sponge, and there was no doubt in his mind that she would become a doctor like they had. Now, he wasn't forcing it, but he was discouraging it either. He wanted his kids to do what they decided to do on their own, but he had a hunch that Harriet was right on track to becoming their families next surgeon. Jackson explained everything he could about Michael's broken arm and what the doctors would probably do about it, but after a while, she got bored as most six year olds would. She went off to the playroom down the hall to play with the toys and Jo stole Luke away again, leaving Jackson alone to wait in the hall for any news. He felt like a patient's family, which he technically was, but he didn't like it. He liked being the doctor on the other side much better.

When he saw April exit the exam room, he stood up immediately, "So, how is he?" He asked, his anxiety returning.

"He's fine," she responded with a coldness present in her voice, "He broke his radius, probably from trying to catch himself and all the pressure was put on his wrist, you know?" He nodded to show that he understood. Radius breaks occurred quite often in younger kids, actually it was one of the most common breaks they saw in children.

"Ok, so, what are they gonna do?" He urged her to continue with the information, even though he knew what she was probably going to say.

"Alex said no surgery, just a cast."

Jackson exhaled loudly in relief. Being a surgeon himself didn't necessarily mean he wanted his four year old son to go under the knife. He trusted everyone on his surgical staff, but he was not too keen on the idea.

They stood there awkwardly in silence. They didn't have many silences in their marriage, at least uncomfortable ones. They didn't fight all that much either, anymore at least. Jackson rubbed the back of his head in confusion. He wasn't sure what to say at this point. Michael was going to be fine, but April was still mad at him. It seemed irrational to him, and he wasn't sure how to fix it.

"I'm sorry that I snapped at you. I know it's not your fault he fell." April whispered and looked up at him as she broke the silence, her eyes glazed over and her voice laced with an apologetic tone.

Jackson sighed at her, ready to make his own apology for his mistakes, "I'm sorry I didn't call. I was in a rush-" but he was cut off by April again.

"Look, Jackson, it's fine. I just, I don't know, this is something neither one of us was prepared for. It took me by surprise and I was worried. I mean, we're doctors! We see this all of the time but seeing him in pain, a broken bone of all things! I can't help but think…." She stopped short and swallowed slowly, hesitant to continue.

"Think what?" Jackson searched her teary eyes for a hint of what she was thinking. She closed her eyes before she answered him.

"Samuel," she breathed out softly as tears ran down her face, "Do you think he felt like that? Do you think he would've called for me to comfort him like that?"

Jackson wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest. He rubbed circles on her back to soothe her as he whispered in her ear, "Of course he would have. You're a good mom. To ALL of them."

"It just makes me feel like I'm not doing enough. I know I can't watch them 24/7 but I don't like feeling helpless like we did with him and right now, I do. I know I couldn't have done anything more with Samuel, but with them I can and I feel like I'm not." She leaned away to wipe the tears away but he grabbed her hand and moved it out of the way.

He swiped his thumb across her cheeks to remove them and she gave him a small smile when he leaned in to kiss her forehead. He trailed his arms down her sides and took both of her hands in his, letting them swing between them, "You are enough. You do enough. I know you don't think you do, but you do. You take care of all of us, you put up with me, us, and you come to work every single day and work harder than any person I know. You're doing your best, which helps us be the best we can be. You're the strongest person I know, some days I wonder if you're actually a superhero. We can get through this. We got through Samuel, and Harriet. We can get through this. This isn't the first bump in the road, and it won't be the last. Ok?"

She nodded her head at him right as Michael came running towards them out of the examination room he had been in. A smile spread across his face when he saw them and he leapt into April's arms.

"Look mommy! Alex gaved me a red cast like the color of your hair!" April giggled and kissed his little chubby cheeks. Michael showed off his cast to everyone who walked by, like it was an accessory attached to his body.

Jackson smiled at the two as April spoke to him with a bright smile. Her features were so much more animated now around her son than they had been moments before. All hints of sadness gone. Even if she didn't believe it, he knew he would remind her every day if he had to. A mother's love was unconditional, and April had no problem proving that. She was a good mother. She was a good wife. The past was rough, but that brought them to where they were now. There was no need to forget what had happened, because it played an important role in their life. All their children did. You can't undo it, but you can learn from it. Your past is what guides you to the future and Jackson could see through his family's smiles, that no matter what happens, they will come out stronger than ever and their future was brighter.


End file.
